Graham Rogers

Yarns from the Aussie Outback Graham Rogers

Nuet Livingstone took great delight in entertaining travelers in the bar of the Ironclad Hotel in the tiny gold mining town of Marble Bar. Marble Bar was renowned as the hottest place in Australia and in the bar of the local was the coolest place one could quench their thirst. Nuet's favorite trick was to eat a green frog. Then for an encore eat three or four cockroaches. Entertainment was self-made in the past before television reached the outback. Roads were mainly dirt tracks and when travelers reached a small settlement they would gather at the local hotel. Have a few drinks and yarn with the locals. Storytelling, news and gossip were all by word of mouth. An art now nearly forgotten. Larrikins like Neut were a dime a dozen and in most paces there would always be one who loved playing tricks on the unwary. It was a talking point to pass on at a meeting or gathering whether it be with friends or strangers. A good yarn broke the ice and then one could indulge in the art of communication. This art now near non-existent. Outback roads are now long stretches of bitumen and cars zoom along at a great rate. A time gone past these roads were dirt and you never drove past if anyone was stopped on the road. You always pulled over to inquire if they were OK. Many a traveller had perished in the past. It was sort of an unwritten law to check on fellow travellers. Not so now. The old-timers who once travelled these roads are now gone as well as their stories with it. In this book, I've gathered up some of those stories as well as my own experiences to let the next generation know of the life that we once lived. We all took it in our stride and made do. I don't think any of us made great fortunes but we were all richer for our experiences, in heart and mind.